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Mass Shooting at Night Club in Little Rock, Arkansas; President Trump Ignoring Advice of Lawmakers This Week; White House Defending the President; President Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin Will Meet at G20. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired July 1, 2017 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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[16:00:00] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Firefighters can be found here like this Montana crew hiking up during our interview.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got to hug --.

SAVIDGE: Four years after the deaths of 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots, their memorial is a trail for remembering and a path toward healing.

Martin Savidge, CNN, Yarnle, Arizona.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: We are following breaking news right now. Police in Little Rock, Arkansas are discussing the mass shooting at a night club. We are told 25 people were shot overnight. Let's go to that the mayor is speaking right now, Mark Stodala, is at the podium.

MAYOR MARK STODOLA, LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: Let's rededicate ourselves to what we can do to make the city safe. That sickening feeling in the gut of your stomach is something you never want to feel and certainly on a fourth of July weekend where we wish to anticipate having fun with friends and family, this is certainly, certainly a terrible, terrible tragedy.

I want to thank and commend our first responders. Thanks to their response, the work of the Medical professionals in our hospitals and by the Grace of God all of the victims are expected to survive.

I want to reassure our public this was not an act of terrorism but a tragedy, a local community tragedy. It does not appear to be a planned shooting. It appears that there was a disagreement amongst a small subset of individuals at a concert that turned violent because of the presence of rivalries and weapons.

I want to take a moment here in a minute after our officials give their briefing to address some of the bigger issues affecting our community. But there are two things readily apparently. We must do more to keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people. And government can do something to help us with that. We also, also should be outraged that a promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert suggesting the issues of violence should also be totally unacceptable in our community.

We need to do these things before tragedies happen. And so we come down here, and we know we have got to use a hammer. We got to use a big hammer on the people who would do violence with guns and hurt people. So we will speak more about this in a moment. But I want to turn it over the press conference now to Chief Buckner who is going to give you an update on the details of the investigation -- Chief Buckner.

CHIEF KENTON BUCKNER, LITTLE ROCK POLICE DEPARTMENT: Thank you, mayor. Good afternoon.

I'm going to go into some of the details of the incident and how they kind of unraveled as we know them today. All of the information I'm giving as you based upon preliminary information and is subject to change.

Approximately 2:30 a.m. at the Power lounge located on Sixth Street there was a concert with a Memphis entertainer identified as a fitness two time scheduled to be the headliners for the concert. There were also some local artists scheduled to perform at this concert. Some sort of dispute ensued in the audience during the event. And there were multiple shots fired. We believe multiple individuals were responsible for the shots fired.

Again I want to echo what the mayor said. We don't believe this was an act of terror nor was it an active shooter situation. Off-duty police officers who were also at some point working this event. They were there from 11:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. That was the normally scheduled time to be there. Their job was to work with the parking lot for this venue which is typical for these types of venues and police working off-duty during at that location.

During the tenure there shortly before they left their 2:00 a.m. exit time, some members with the headliner group for the entertainment attempted to enter the venue, one of which openly carrying a weapon. Our officers engaged that individual, attempted to stop that individual but it appears that some of the individuals went to an alternate entry into this location and actually gained access into the venue. That appears that most of the shots that were fired, that this occurred inside the venue but that's based upon preliminary information. We do not have any information that leads us to believe that anything occurred outside that relates to the shots fired. The location was also checked at approximately 12:30 a.m. by our vice detectives which is part of routine patrol to go on check some of the venue throughout the city. But we have had other complaints at this venue.

The victims are all appear to be African-American both male and female with the youngest being the age of 16, the oldest being 35. Twenty- eight individuals in total were injured, 25 result of gunshot wounds, three as a result of attempting to flee the venue when the chaos ensued. Of those individuals that were injured of 22 we believe that two are listed in critical condition at this time. The other individuals have what we believe to be non-life threatening injuries.

I cannot thank our hospitals enough for their response to have this kind of mass incident occur in our city and the fact that we are standing here to do today and 28 people -- 25 of which were shot and no one is dead speaks to a lot of things on our first responders and also our hospitals and how they were able to bridge with us to help the individuals.

Those hospitals specifically were these 25 folks that kind of scattered throughout Central Arkansas, our UAMS Baptist, St. Vincent children's and Baptist Sprinkle in North Little Rock. To our community we have no reason to believe at this time that anyone in the general public is at harm to any incident - any further incidents from this group. We believe it was associated with some of the individuals who are inside. So we want the public to know that we feel like there is no risk for any harm, to go about your daily lives.

This does appear as the mayor alluded to, to be a continuation of disputes of some of our local groups who have been disputing that you have seen some of the things playing out in our streets that had resulted in drive by shootings and other shooting victims, if you of which we have warrants for their arrest.

Also, to our officers, it's very, very important that I want them to know that this is why we train. This is why we pursue best practices. This is why I we want to subscribe to 21st century policing principles. This is which I send you around the country to develop networks to have, the kinds of information that we need that when you have your moment in your city. In America today unfortunately we are seeing this play out too much.

I could not be prouder how you responded on that day. It says so much that we have that many people injured in and our people were able to get there, declare a safe scene for our EMS folks to enter and do their jobs and we greatly appreciate that.

Also I want to let the public know that we would not have been able to do this alone although we are the ones standing up here talking as we should with because this is our city. But the surrounding chiefs in central Arkansas have reached out. They certainly extended their help. We are currently working with ATF and FBI who are here represented today also helping us with the investigation. And many of the tools that they have we don't have the resources to do some of the broad things they're able to do. And they are being here early and we certainly appreciate their help. But also, the state police and the governor's office has extended their help for any needs we may need with the crime lab or state policy.

So at this time we will talk a little bit some of the things that occurred with the injured from Greg (ph) from our EMS.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take off what Chief Buckner said a couple years ago Little Rock Police and Little Rock firemen began to work together to prepare for cast of mass tragedies like what we faced last evening and really began to pay off last night. When our Medics began to arrive on scene we began to do our triage. We found that some of the victims that are already had been triaged by the police department. A total of five to tourniquets were used in one chest heal (ph). I say a few years ago we wouldn't have seen anything like that. And I believe that their actions had direct positive impact on the outcome of this event.

A lot of people self-evacuated from the scene. Some went to children's hospital. I'll talk about that in a second. There were ten left on the scene not able to self-evacuate. So we were able to transport them out working with the Arkansas trauma system to make sure they were scattered to appropriate hospitals.

The two that went to children's, they were adults. And of course children's a pediatric facility not able to cake are care of those. So we worked together with the trauma system to make sure those two were transported to the appropriate facilities. There was one other hospital that chief Buckner didn't mention because I hadn't told him yet and that is Conway actually played into the mix too to make sure that we had spread the patients out because of all the self- evacuations to the other hospitals. At this point that's all I have.

STODOLA: We will take questions the chief and I and others will take questions here in just a moment. But I want to let you know that this feeling of heartbreak has become all too familiar in our city. This one incident certainly only puts a point on a situation we have seen continue to increase since last fall.

It's not unique to Little Rock by the way. It's happening in cities, urban cities throughout the country. I have received calls from New Orleans, the mayor of New Orleans. The mayor of Louisville, all of which have pledged to do anything they can to help us because we know we have to have a collective effort and to learn from each other as it relates to those things.

And I know that we have got people here in this city that are dedicating their lives to stopping the violence, both in the police department and in the community. We have people in organizations, we have people in our churches that are helping, reaching out trying to provide an opportunity for young people to go in the right direction instead of the wrong direction, offering mentor services and others.

And I know they are as frustrated as I am that the resources, the time, the money, the coordination are not yet yielding the results that we want. But we must press on. We must continue to press forward as a community. This is a community problem and it is a community issue that we can solve.

Let me mention a couple of things. First of all, the Lounge, the ultra-power being lounge, the ABC has suspended the liquor license effective today. The city is going to be placing this property in our criminal abatement program. And we will be shutting this location down, absolutely. The manager of the property is advised that he is also providing an eviction notice to the operators of the lounge. So this activity downtown is going to cease.

It also should be a recognition to the other late night clubs and place that is we have that we're going to be extra vigilant a as it relates to the issues of people walking streets with guns. It's very important that we work on trying to remove the guns from the people who should not have them. And who is that? I want to let you no he that I have talked with the governor. I have talked with the attorney general, governor Hutchison and I have talked about the importance of putting together a group of both state and local officials that will be working with our probation and parole officers so that people on probation and parole carrying weapons can be apprehended and prosecuted and convicted and put in jail.

We also -- I have talked with Larry Jegly (ph), our prosecuting attorney. And he has assigned a special deputy to be specially deputized with the U.S. attorney's office so that we can get those cases adapted to the federal level where the sanctions are much, much more serious and they can be kept in jail longer.

This is the kind of long-term type of activities that are going to be -- that are going to be yielding results. We have got to take the repeat gun offenders off the streets. Which means we are going to have to have increased supervision and monitoring by our probation and parole officers. Let me emphasize that we believes this is a very small group of repeat offenders that are bent on violent criminal. We have a violent crime apprehension team of 25 officers that are working all of the hot spots that we receive reports from. It is very important that the community let us no he when he they hear shots so we can be there and try and make sure that we investigate appropriately what is happening at the time.

I want you to know that the ATF and the alcohol, tobacco and firearms, the FBI and U.S. marshal office in Little Rock. They are here with us today, along with the Memphis offices are also working with us as it relates to this specific incident.

Now, this issue, this problem, this challenge of too many people resolving their disputes with guns cannot be just simply resolved with just arrest and conviction. We know that there is going to have to be a difference made in the future for people in terms of giving them something to lose. That is why the city, my board of director here have dedicated over $5.5 million a year as we continue to do for intervention and prevention programs. It's also why my office is going to continue to make sure the funds go where they are actually needed. Opportunity is the key. And we don't have a magic wand to undo the disparities of opportunity. But together I know with the hard work I know we can do everything we can to change that. So we can deal with the issues of economic mobility. We can assist people in trying to get jobs. And it may mean that we need more programs, the seek to revitalize neighborhoods, to bring back disadvantaged neighborhoods, to work more aggressively in terms of unhappy having people understand the respect and the value of live and property.

It may mean asking the community to reach out every day and be a role model for young people. We must understand that one person alone cannot solve this problem or be blamed for the problem. A police chief alone can't this problem. A minister can't solve in problem alone. If a city director alone can't solve this problem. And a mayor alone can't solve this problem. But a citizen alone also cannot solve this problem. But collectively, collectively we as a community can do so. So by working together, by combining smart policy, important investments and certainly using prayer, I'm certain that we can make the change and bring safety back to our city.

So with that said I'm going to open this up for questions and ask the chief to come forward. I'm sure there is going to be quite a few questions going to be asked - Chief.

BUCKNER: At this time because we are very early in our investigation we're still developing that information as to who was a witness, who was a suspect, who fired shots, who was actually in the location to try to see who saw what. So it's too early for us to know who the suspects are. Obviously, we know who some of the entertainers were for the event. But right now we don't have suspect information to give to you release to the public.

[16:15:25] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tell us why you believe that if you don't have anyone in custody or are they still in town.

BUCKNER: Well, because I believe the incident that occurred we certainly know it began between what appeared to be rival groups in the audience that was there. So I do not believe that the general public is at risk from these individuals because of the dispute is with teen these two organizations who whoever else that may have fired shots in the location that was the purpose of that statement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

BUCKNER: The question here ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is a lot of questions from the community. We know there is a longstanding feud between Little Rock and Memphis gang was. Do you think that that situation could be apply in this scenario?

BUCKNER: I think that the history and the challenges of both Little Rock and Memphis are well documented. I think when you have a concert venue where you have young people and force the two cities into a small room in some kind of dispute it sues, it was a recipe for disaster. Obviously, we will learn more things as we begin to unfold with this investigation. But to be able to say that this is a result of a conflict between Memphis and Little Rock, I don't have enough information to give you that kind of definitive avenues.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chief you mentioned.

BUCKNER: Please, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You said several suspects are we talking, five, ten, can you tell us if they are from here, out of town?

BUCKNER: Because we don't know what we don't know yet we're still in the process. Of actively interviewing both victims and witnesses from the venue. I would have no idea as who how many people actually fired shots in that location.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Any members of the performers. BUCKNER: We don't know that information either. Yes, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Chief, you mentioned that several previous shooting that is occurred here in Little Rock over the last two weeks or so can you say definitively that this incident is linked.

BUCKNER: There is a possibility that some of the recent shootings could have something to do with the conflict that was inside that location as you all can probably appreciate, although I know it must be frustrate fudge you are trying to get information, as it is because. But because we don't know what we don't know, I don't know to prematurely put something out there the universe I can't stand behind. But it's certainly -- we certainly feel there is a possibility that there could be a connection with the recent shootings that we have had.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They could be linked. Is it linked with the performers?

BUCKNER: We have not spoken to the performer yet. But that is certainly one of the individuals and anyone that was inside that venue that we certainly want to speak to.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

BUCKNER: We do not have anyone in custody as a result of this incident. Your question ma'am.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You mentioned out in the parking lot was there security inside.

BUCKNER: To my knowledge the security inside the venue would have been the individuals that were working for the power lounge. There were no police --.

SANCHEZ: You are listening to police in Little Rock, Arkansas at a news conference in the shooting at a downtown night club earlier this morning that injured at least 28 people is not a big concern for the public. The police chief staying it is too early to know who the suspects are. We do have video from inside the club I want to show you.

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SANCHEZ: Again, the Little Rock police department says that 28 people were hurt, 25 of them shot. The other three suffered unrelated injures. The shooting victims range in age from 16 to 35. They were treated at five separate area hospitals. Two people listed in critical condition. Now, we did hear from the mayor who said that they expect everyone will be OK. Police said that several people in the crowd exchanged gunfire. There were some rival factions from what we understand inside the club. There was an argument. They say the shooting was not an act of terror. The FBI and ATF are now helping in the investigation.

Again, no arrests have been made. The police chief saying that it is too early to identify suspects. The mayor says the club will be shut down. And the liquor license has now been revoked. The good news there 28 people hurt, no one expected to die after that shooting.

Coming up, the President renewing his attack on cable news host this morning after drawing bipartisan condemnation in Washington. Stay with us.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:24:05] SANCHEZ: President Trump is ignoring the advice of lawmakers this week. An even those in his own party, to lay off twitter attacks. Instead, he is continuing a feud with some cable TV anchors.

CNN Ryan Nobles is live outside the White House.

Ryan, what has the President been saying today?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. The President back on twitter again this morning continuing his criticism of MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski? This is what he said this morning in a tweet.

He said quote "crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses, too bad." So yes, that's what the President is tweet about this morning, not about the debate over health care or about his upcoming meeting at the G-20 summit, instead about the feud with cable news anchors. And this is something even Republicans are pleading with him to stop. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's a tweet that's not even becoming of a city councilman.

[16:25:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not going to defend his tweet. It was ugly. And I personally do hold the President of the United States to a higher standard.

SEN. PAT TOOMEY (R), PENNSYLVANIA: This is maddening. It's maddeningly frustrating because this is beneath the dignity of the President of the United States or at least it should be. It's a distraction. And it really ultimately it starts to undermine the President's ability to get his agenda done.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R), TEXAS: We are dealing with some very serious policy issues in the Congress, whether it be health care reform, tax reform, border security, and national security issues that we would prefer him to tweet about those issues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: And of course this comes, Boris, as Congress has left town for the July Fourth recess. But this health care debate continues to perk late in just a few days before the President heads to Europe for that all G-20 summit -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Ryan, you mentioned health care. Where do we stand with that right now?

NOBLES: Well the debate continues. And in fact, senior administration official tells our Liz Landers that the President is going to continue to work on health care. He is out of town right now. He is at his estate in eye New Jersey. His golf course there. But he does expect to reach out to lawmakers over this break.

And you know one of the big sticking points right now which we have already heard from senators on Capitol Hill and the White House is echoing this is this problem with Medicaid expansion. There are a number of states across the country that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare. And the current Senate bill would take away that Senate funding. It would take a bit of time before it would be gone. But the federal funding would be gone, leaving big holes in state budgets. It's something a lot of the Republican senators just aren't comfortable with yet. And that's something the White House and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell are wrestling with as they try to come up with some path to compromise to get this through the Senate.

SANCHEZ: Yes. Still a long way forward. Ryan, we heard today 10 GOP senators, including Mike Lee of Utah, proposing that maybe they skip the August recess to hash out the details of this health care bill.

Ryan Nobles reporting from the White House, thank you.

And coming up, the President is poised to meet with Russia's Vladimir Putin next week as one of the key Trump campaign advise volunteers to face questions about the election meddling.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:31:30] SANCHEZ: Let's get straight to our panel of CNN political commentators to discuss some of the President's tweets. Joining me Democratic strategist Maria Cardona, Republican strategist Alice Stewart and conservative columnist Kayleigh McEnany.

Ladies. We thank you for staying with us.

Alice, first to you. The White House is defending the President. They argue that the American people elected a fighter, someone who fights fire with fire. But do you think that those people that voted for him expected the fight to be with cable news hosts?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No. I think they expected the fight first and foremost to be for the American people and for all Americans, Republicans and Democrats. And they had hoped also that the fight would be against Vladimir Putin and North Korea and ISIS. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case. Look, I understand where he feels as though that the media has been

unduly harsh on him. But look, when you are in an elected office there is going to be some difficult criticism, whether from the press, whether from those in the other party, whether from people that are just critical of your positions on policies. And being in that position you have to develop thick skin and wear a coat of armor, and be able to pick your battles. And my view his time would be much better spent on the massive and impressive twitter following and twitter outreach by focusing on issues like health care and travel ban and Kate's law and interview dominant and not "morning Joe." I think it would be more beneficial to him as well as the American people.

SANCHEZ: Kayleigh to you, something Kellyanne Conway said yesterday that the coverage of the President wasn't productive and it isn't patriotic to pursue a negative narrative against the president. But is it really up to the press to set a positive tone or is it up to President to define the focus of the national conversation?

KAYLEIGH MCENANY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well Kellyanne is referring to the fact that it's historically negative and historically unpatriotic. The media's coverage of President Trump from day one, they were questioning his mental fitness. As I mentioned previously he has been compared to Hitler. His family has been ruthlessly. So that is what they she takes issue with.

And I would say, you know, President Trump is taking on the media not only for himself, not only because of the personal attack that is have been directed against him, but he also recognizes that the media is doing a disservice to the American people when 353 minutes on broadcast television are spent on the Russia conspiracy theory after the FBI director said many, many sorties out there are dead wrong. The former FBI director James Comey said that. They focus on that and spent one minute on tax reform. That is doing a disservice to the American people. And President Trump is going to take on the media and ensure that things get covered that he is doing the Kate's, like the veterans accountability act, like Keystone, like border crossing being down and the stock market being up. The media will never focus on that and President Trump is going to force them to.

SANCHEZ: I think it is interesting the way you phrase the Russia conspiracy theory when the Senate, The House and FBI are all taking this very seriously.

I do want to move on, though, Kayleigh, and ask you about this, let's is not joke around. Let's be serious. President Trump attacking women's looks and making somewhat misogynistic remarks isn't new a lot of it is on tape. Let's listen to what he said as a candidate starting a remark about Megyn Kelly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: She gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. And you know you could see their blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever. The other day I'm standing -- I told you this. But I'm standing at my

podium and she walks in front of me, right? She walks in front of me. You know? And when he walked in front of me believe me I wasn't impressed.

I'm automatically attracted to beautiful women. I just start kissing. Them it's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let do you it. You can do anything.

[16:35:18] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whatever you want.

TRUMP: Grab them by the (bleep). You can do anything.

People that are willing to say I was with Donald Trump in 1980. I was sitting with him on an airplane. And he went after me on the plane. Yes, I'm going to go after her. Believe me, she would not be my first choice that I can tell you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: To be clear what you just heard is the President defending allegations of sexual assault by implying that his accuser wasn't attractive enough to assault.

So Kayleigh, does the President have a problem with women?

MCENANY: No, he doesn't. And one of his clips that was just played was the "Access Hollywood" tape which he apologized for. He prayed for forgiveness and America forgive him when they elected him president.

I would also point out he has also attacked men. He appoint - he has attacked Low energy Jet, little Marco. We can have a broader conversation about whether, you know, name calling anyone who is appropriate.

Well, let's also not the forget that the interaction with the liberal MSNBC host began not when President Trump attacked his physical appearance, but when she attacked his physical appearance, the discussion that prompted him to send out the tweet was a discussion about how he appeared in a portrait and how he held his hands and hid his hands because she was making a remark on the size of his hands.

So I think we should hold every one of every gender to the same standards. Let's not attack physique. That include the liberal morning host, it includes the President.

SANCHEZ: Maria, Kayleigh brings up a very good point. All of America saw that "Access Hollywood" tape. Voters kind of knew what they were getting. He won. They elected him.

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Do Democrats have an issue getting to those voters?

CARDONA: Well, I mean certainly so many things happened that -- during this election that you know went to the results of the election. You know one of which was the Russian meddling. And you know sadly this is something that this President a, doesn't believe. B, does not take seriously. And I think that's a big problem for him and for the American people.

Look. Clearly, what Trump has done every time that he goes to twitter and tweets, especially against women and making fun of their locks, is that he is proving yet again what we knew, yes, when America elected him, that he is a sexist, misogynistic jerk. And I say jerk because I can't use another word on national television.

But the fact of the matter is let us not forget, Boris, that man was not elected by the majority of the people. He is not supported today by the majority of the American people. He has historic low approval ratings in mid-to low 30s. And the majority of the American people did not want him to be President.

And, yes, this is something he struggles with every day. And I think it is part of the reason why he is acting the way he is because I think he wonders himself whether he is legitimately in the oval office. But since he is there he should act like he deserves to be there. Put on his man pants, make sure that he lets the American people know that he is there to work for them instead of being so concerned about his own image and his own ego.

But I say that in vain. Because so many of his supporters have tried to say this to get him to try to act Presidential. The words acting Presidential do not exist in his vocabulary, period. And that is a shame for the American people. It makes us look horrible abroad. And it's going to keep him from trying to do what he wants legislatively. And that is a shame for Republicans on the hill as well.

SANCHEZ: And to be fair, Maria --.

MCENANY: The Democrats --.

SANCHEZ: Go ahead, Kayleigh. Go ahead.

MCENANY: Liberal Democrats need to do something other than demonize the President. Maria, your party doesn't have an agenda. You have no plans. You have no play. Look, you have no solutions for health care. American people suffer --.

CARDONA: Democrats are trying to --.

(CROSSTALK)

MCENANY: Enacts and you demonize the President by calling him a sexist. The play book that you just poured put forward of calling the President a sexist.

(CROSSTALK)

MCENANY: Maria I let you finish. You tried demonizing the President in the 2016 election with those same charges of sexism. It failed. He is sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And I would suggest you offer solutions because demonization falls on deaf ears.

CARDONA: OK, two things. Democrats are trying to protect the 22 million Americans, Kayleigh, that Trump and Republicans are trying to take healthcare away from which by the way it is a broken promise that he said because he said during the campaign that he was going to give you universal health care, that he wasn't going to touch Medicaid, and that is exactly what he is doing number one.

And number two, yes, you know, he -- our accusations of him as being a sexist and misogynist didn't work during the election. But it doesn't mean they are not true. Again, the majority of the American people did not want him to be President and do not support him to this day.

[16:40:21] STEWART: Boris.

MCENANY: And they don't support liberal Democrats.

SANCHEZ: Alice I want to you get time in to respond.

STEWART: Sure. Just real quickly on the issue of him not winning with the majority vote. It's not at majority vote election, Electoral College election. And he within bus he had a message that connected with the American people. He worked hard campaigned in key state. And they played the Electoral College process. And I would imagine if it was a popular vote they would be campaigned much differently that's the bottom line.

MCENANY: That's right.

STEWART: And with regard to the Russian probe he views this as undermining the results of the election which I don't believe but that's what he believes. So I think the more they can get the information out there let's put that to rest then we can focus on the issues ahead.

CARDONA: Because he himself believes he is illegitimate.

SANCHEZ: We have to leave it there. But we thank you so much for your passion and you're your perspective. Alice Stewart, Maria Cardona and Kayleigh McEnany live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Please stay with us.

CARDONA: Thanks, Boris.

STEWART: Thanks, Boris.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:45:21] SANCHEZ: It's the political showdown that everyone has been waiting for. In just a few days President Trump and Russia's President Vladimir Putin will meet for the first time since Trump won the White House. The two leaders are set to meet face-to-face in sidelines of next week's G-20 summit in Germany.

Kimberly Dozier joins me now. She is CNN's global affairs analyst and national security correspondent at "Daily Beast." Kimberly, now President Trump and Putin are getting set to meet at the

G-20. We don't know really know what the format of that meeting is going to be like. But what do you expect?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, either it's going to be a pull aside -- we'll at least see them shake hands and then maybe meet in a room away from the cameras, don't know how long it's going to be. White House officials say that President Trump is going to come with both things that he can talk about with Putin that could lead to cooperation but also stress to him areas of difficulty.

Now, I have spoken to some European officials. They have intelligence that they have intercepted that Moscow thinks this meeting will go well for Putin and he may be able to through the force of charm, long experience in influencing other world leaders get some -- get some concessions out of Trump or promises for future concessions.

That has European worried. What they want to hear is Trump be forceful about things like Russia's interference in Ukraine and its continued support of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. But we will to see what the two men say before and after they meet.

SANCHEZ: Yes. And Kim, it is also going to be a notable trip because it's the first time that Trump is going to be seeing all these European leaders after he decided to pull out of the Paris climate accord. He is obviously also got a lot on his plate here at home. How do you expect the international reception -- how do you expect them to receive the President.

DOZIER: Well, I think after some of those leaders got a public dressing down at NATO when Trump gave that speech there where he talked about the fact that he thought many of those countries hadn't been pulling their weight in terms of their investment in defense, they are primed this time to give as good as they got.

We can already see the German leader Angela Merkel saying things publicly in the press, pushing back against Trump. So I think what we might see are some verbal fireworks and a real defense of the climate deal. And I think people are going to take Trump on. So this could be a fascinating meeting.

SANCHEZ: Yes, there could be fireworks. We have heard from NATO allies though that they would love to hear the President give a vocal show of support to Article Five while on this trip, the stipulation if any NATO country is attacked, the entire alliance would respond. How important is it for them to hear that? We have heard it from the vice President before. But what's the significance of hearing it from the President himself?

DOZIER: Well, the fact of the matter is that on the campaign trail and in some of the other comments he has made it sound like he might not come to the aid of other countries whereas the only time Article Five has ever actually been used is for the United States when everyone came to assist the U.S. after the attacks of 9/11. He was supposed to affirm Article Five verbally in that NATO speech. He didn't. They would like to hear it again in person. But the President knows that. And he doesn't like to be pushed or bullied into anything either. So that might be something we do not hear, which will just stir more controversy.

SANCHEZ: We have to leave it there. Kimberly Dozier, thank you so much for the time.

DOZIER: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Coming up, in a bind. Head of a crucial overseas trip for President Trump reports of major disagreements between the state department and White House.

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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[16:53:30] SANCHEZ: The original China town is deep in the heart of superiorities San Francisco. On the next "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA," W. Kamau Bell walks to the streets to sees how and why people are choosing to honor their original Chinese heritage in the face of race stereotypes. That's tomorrow at 10:00 p.m. eastern and pacific.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

W. KAMAU BELL, CNN HOST, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: San Francisco has the first China town. It seems like the identity of city.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Exactly. But years ago it's like another country.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now people began to have the fears of Chinese- Americans.

BELL: Chinese people in China town had the same China town.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BELL: That's the San Francisco history I'm talking about people like to promote San Francisco as all accepting and welcoming place but that's not always true.

How important was it to you grow up owning your Chinese-American identity?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God you have opened such a terrible thing.

BELL: Is it important that Chinese Americans retain this culture? I've seen the hyper-sexualization of the Asian female.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's something we dealt with all our lives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With Asian male mass identity, it's perceived inferiority at a genetic level.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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